Evans Pours in 21 as Bills Win Opener

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis junior forward Dwayne Evans led four players in double
figures with 21 points as the Billikens defeated USC Upstate 76-59 at Chaifetz
Arena Friday night. It was the season opener for both squads.

"Hats off
to our guys," SLU interim head coach Jim
Crews said. "We really sustained our defensive presence for 40 minutes. We
did a good job of taking out their 3s for the most part, as we did a good job
of post defense. Upstate gave us a good challenge, I knew they were good coming
in, and I know they are good going out. It was a hard fought game. We knew we
had to earn it, and we earned it."

The
Billikens utilized a 9-0 run midway through the first half and opened up a
21-13 advantage with 8:06 to play in the opening session. USC Upstate trimmed
its deficit to just four with 5:40 left in the half, but a Grandy Glaze bucket sparked a 7-0 rally that helped the Bills open
an 11-point lead. Saint Louis led 36-28 at halftime.

Upstate did
not go down quietly and pulled within two, 44-42, with 13:12 remaining. But
from that point, the Billikens went on a 10-2 spurt, capped by a key 3-pointer
from freshman guard Keith Carter. USC
Upstate again rallied and pulled within three before baskets by Rob Loe and Jett gave SLU a comfortable
margin. Jake Barnett hit a 3-pointer
late in the game and the Billikens posted the 76-59 win.

SLU shot
51.9 percent from the field and hit 19 of its 22 free-throw attempts.

Evans'
game-high 21 points came on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the
foul line. Jett and McCall Jr. were both 5-of-9 from the floor.

Ellis had a
solid all-around game, hitting 4-of-8 from the field and hitting all seven of
his free throws to account for 15 points. He also pulled down six rebounds.

Friday's game was the first of two home games as part of the CBE Hall of
Fame Classic. The Billikens face Santa Clara next Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.
in Chaifetz Arena.